Eldad: ‘New’ Construction – from 2012

Former MK warns using promised construction as a bargaining chip ‘will be a disaster.’

By Maayana Miskin

First Publish: 8/13/2013, 2:05 PM

Aryeh Eldad

Israel news photo: Flash 90

The government has made a serious mistake by portraying the latest construction east of the 1949 armistice line as something Israel is doing in exchange for freeing terrorist killers, former MK Aryeh Eldad warned Tuesday.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Eldad explained why he was unimpressed with the government’s decision to allow limited new construction in Jerusalem and in select cities in Judea and Samaria (Shomron).

“These are recycled declarations. Netanyahu promised to build these same houses in November, 2012, after the Palestinians went to the United Nations – and he didn’t build them then, either,” Eldad accused.

“These are empty declarations meant to make up for the release of terrorists,” he said.

Netanyahu’s declarations are dangerous for Israel, he warned. “The very fact that the government has turned construction in Jerusalem - which is Israel’s legitimate, sovereign right - into a bargaining chip that exists on paper alone will be a disaster in the long term,” he predicted.

“Israel needed to build without announcements, and without declarations. As soon as that’s part of the game, it’s a problem,” he said.

There is one other problem with the declaration as well, he added, “The state of Israel is announcing that under a future agreement, it will not keep anything outside the settlement blocs.”

The construction that was approved includes building in Judea and Samaria “settlement bloc” cities including Ariel and Maaleh Adumim, but nowhere else.